History
See the timeline of events that led to the CQI as we know it today.
For a more detailed account of the CQI's history, read the article by R H Camplen, published in the Golden Jubilee issue of The Quality Engineer (March/April 1969) when the Institute’s name was still Institution of Engineering Inspection.
1 April 1919 – The first general meeting of the Technical Inspection Association was held at the Royal Society of Arts, London
November 1922 – Membership had fallen so a new constitution was proposed. The Institution of Engineering Inspection came into existence along with a corporate seal and crest
June 1929 – Branch structure was formalised
1933 – First independent headquarters in Victoria Street and the appointment of the first paid “organiser secretary”, Reginald Pugh
September 1939 – The outbreak of the Second World War caused headquarters staff to be evacuated to Bath and records moved to Romsey in Hampshire
April 1944 – 25th anniversary celebrated with membership numbers at 1,200
March 1954 – The British Productivity Council proposed the formation of a society for quality control or the inclusion of quality control in the existing society. The institute’s council agreed to include quality control within its scope
1969 – 50th anniversary
March 1970 – Agreement with the Institution of Production Engineers to share its headquarters in Mayfair and integrate staff
June 1972 – The Institution of Engineering Inspection became the Institute of Quality Assurance
April 1975 – The annual John Loxham lecture was inaugurated in honour of the first president of the newly named IQA
1981 – The National Council for Quality and Reliability was integrated with the IQA and the British Quality Association for company members was born
1984 – British Quality Award launched
November 1989 – The first World Quality Day was celebrated with a successful BQA conference
1994 – 75th anniversary
2007 – Having gained its Royal Charter at the end of 2006, the IQA becomes the Chartered Quality Institute on 1 January 2007
2008 – Members and fellows can apply for the status of Chartered Quality Professional
2012 – Shape the future of quality